Remove oil from brakes

[damiens]

Hi all,

 

I had a shock absorber seal let go on the cub and it soaked the dual calipers brakes with oil (Beringer brakes). I cleaned it up as best I could without pulling them apart in the hope that it would burn off any residue with a good taxi. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. They are adequate, but only about a third as effective as the other side. Is there any solution short of pulling them off? 

 

Thanks Damien 

 

 

[Hongie]

personally, I would toss the pads, and clean the discs and calipers with some aerosol brake cleaner.

 

You could try cracking the bleeder, and pushing the cylinders in a little to get an air gap and then spray the brake cleaner in, and see how it works out. Depends how much a set of pads is worth I spose.

 

 

[Birdseye]

Hi all,I had a shock absorber seal let go on the cub and it soaked the dual calipers brakes with oil (Beringer brakes). I cleaned it up as best I could without pulling them apart in the hope that it would burn off any residue with a good taxi. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. They are adequate, but only about a third as effective as the other side. Is there any solution short of pulling them off? 

 

Thanks Damien 

Yes, chances are the pads are cactus. Clean the calipers with copious amounts of brake cleaner.

 

 

[Downunder]

You won't get all the oil out. The material absorbs it like a sponge. 

 

 

[spacesailor]

If both pads are contaminated, try putting one wet-pad on the other wheel's brake,  that way the total braking should even-out (one wet & one dry on both wheels).

 

And clean the disk/drum as well as the pads.

 

OR,  OIL ONE PAD ON THE OTHER SIDE.LoL ( just to match the sides together)

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Camel]

I would replace the pads ! But for a quick solution as a motor mechanic the practice of heating or burning oil off can be done successfully if your careful, usually wash in petrol then use a blow touch to heat and burn but excessive heat will destroy, wash and repeat until clean ! 

 

I have done this with leaking axle seals in the old days on cars ! Auto Brake fluid is different as it dissolves in water not petrol ! 

 

If they are bonded pads you need to be extra careful with heat ! 

 

 

[kgwilson]

It depends on what sort of oil was in the shock. I had a leak in the hydraulic brake line at the wheel cylinder and the pads became saturated. I tried to clean it up but the brake on that wheel was not too good so I took the caliper off removed both pads & did a proper clean with petrol. Aero hydraulic brake oil is petroleum based MIL-PRF-5606 and is coloured red. Once cleaned and dried the pads were perfect. Put it all back together & no issues since.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

If both pads are contaminated, try putting one wet-pad on the other wheel's brake,  that way the total braking should even-out (one wet & one dry on both wheels).

An old car yard trick for saturated drum brakes after one side wheel cylinder fails.

 

Works but does lower braking performance of course. 

 

 

[spacesailor]

They will allow landing without zooming off to one side on application of brakes, some braking is better than none. LoL,

 

But they sometimes come good.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[zodiacpilot]

Spacesailor,

 

                           definately dismantle brakes, wash pads & rotor well with petrol/brakekleen, blowdry,give both a good scrub with an  aggressive glasspaper, re-assemble & taxi.

 

                                      Cheers.

 

 

[spacesailor]

If you only do one side (the contaminated side) your braking Will be unequal, & that's a problem for your landings.

 

 Strip & clean both sides then split the Contaminated Shoe onto the other wheel, it will even the braking on Both wheels. (presuming top & bottom shoes are wet( or oil opposite side if only one shoe contaminated to match wet shoe))

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Scotty 1]

How dear are the brake shoes or pads? I know I would just replace both sets.

 

 

[spacesailor]

If from the States, A dam site dearer than they should be, due to the excessive postage rates.

 

Its killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

 

Perhaps there's an Old fellow who can still "reline" drum-brake-shoes.  Was an easy job when riveted, & not glued.

 

spacesailor